AWA 2018 Convention Equipment Contest

2018 OLD EQUIPMENT CONTEST

BY GEOFFREY BOURNE AND CHRIS BACON, CONTEST COORDINATORS

This year the AWA Old Time Equipment Contest has two themes, Military Radio and The Transistor.

Most antique radio collectors know the history of early commercial wireless and broadcasting, along with the important discoveries, inventors, and manufacturing companies that made radio possible. Fewer collectors are familiar with military radio. The development of radio in the armed services paralleled commercial development in many respects, but it had to meet needs that often differed greatly—especially during times of war. While the military radio laboratories had access to the latest commercial developments, it is also true that numerous discoveries and innovations by military researchers found their way into commercial practice. While most of the military categories are based on the American armed services, equipment from all countries is welcome.

MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS THEME CATEGORIES:

1. Pre-1915

Prior to 1915, the US Navy led the way in military radio with shipboard and shore installations similar to those in commercial maritime use. At the time, the US Army took more of a “wait and see” attitude, preferring wired (telegraph and telephone) communications. This category is therefore open to any type of communications devices which were used prior to WW-1

2. World War 1, 1915-1919

World War I was a war of technologies. The modern diesel electric submarine was developed and became a major factor in disrupting shipping and inflicting economic damage. The airplane was weaponized and used in warfare for the first time, while mechanized vehicles like tanks displaced traditional horse-drawn cavalry. With the faster pace of war, wireless was seen not only as a necessity for rapid communications, but it was realized that radio offered the possibility of detecting approaching enemy vehicles. While America entered the war two years after it began in Europe and was behind technologically, crash programs to develop smaller, more portable, robust equipment and vacuum tubes soon resulted in a wealth of new technology. While we welcome any WW-1 equipment in this category, an example of an interesting display would be to show the rapid development of military aircraft equipment from the start of the war until the end

3. The In-Between Years, 1920-1940

Many people thought World War 1 was the war to end all wars. After the Armistice, treaties limiting the sizes of armies and navies were signed and military budgets were slashed. During the 1920s, the US upgraded its military radio capabilities gradually as budgets permitted. Development slowed to a crawl during the Great Depression, but as the economy started to improve in the late 1930’s, research began on RADAR, SONAR, and related technologies which would soon become vital. Military radio equipment from the 1920s and 1930s was produced in limited quantities and was quickly used or replaced at the start of WW-2, making most items from this era rare today. Therefore all types of military electronic equipment made between 1920 and 1940, including early RADAR and SONAR, is welcome in this category.

4. World War 2, 1941-1945

With Pearl Harbor, the United States found itself in another world war. Although some efforts at a military build-up had been made earlier, shortages of parts and equipment were severe. Older designs were rushed into production, and commercial radio and test equipment was requisitioned. Initially there was a lot of variation as military units were equipped with whatever electronic equipment could be obtained. However, once most factories were converted to military production, much of the early “ad hoc” gear was replaced with newer, standardized, purpose-designed equipment. We therefore divide WW-2 equipment into two subcategories. In the “early” category we have military equipment from the beginning of the war, including commercial radio and test equipment that was adapted or used directly for military purposes. The “later” category is for the more refined, standardized military equipment that appeared towards the later years of the war.

Category A: Early WW-2 Military and Commercial, 1941-1942

Category B: Late WW-2, 1943-1945

5. Post WW-2 through Present, 1945-

The aftermath of WW-2 was very different than that of WW-1. Although the shooting had stopped, communist expansion in Europe and then in Asia was troubling. Although there was some talk of a “peace dividend,” it did not last long in the face of new challenges and threats. The military applied lessons learned during WW-2 and subsequent wars to new generations of technology. Radios and other electronic equipment with more compact, sophisticated designs and better enclosures were developed to replace WW-2 era equipment. As semiconductors were perfected, they were introduced in newer generations of equipment, and as newer technologies such as missiles, satellites, computers, and drones appeared, the equipment designs evolved. As this category spans more than 70 years, it is divided into four subcategories:

Category A: Korean War Era, 1946-1960

Category B: Vietnam War Era, 1961-1975

Category C: Cold War, 1976-1990

Category D: Desert Storm, 1991 to present

TRANSISTOR THEME CATEGORIES

There are few who would disagree that the discovery of the bipolar transistor by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley at Bell Labs in 1947 was one of the penultimate developments of 20th century technology. It is the key discovery on which our modern electronic information age is built. In the transistor categories which follow, we will happily accept either the devices themselves or equipment which contains them (preferably displayed so the devices are exposed).

7. Preceding Discoveries:

Although the transistor represented a whole new way of looking at and applying physics, semiconductor behavior in solids like selenium, silicon, galena, and germanium was known and had been studied since the 1830’s. The familiar cat’s whisker galena detector was developed in 1909, and the use of carborundum for detectors followed soon afterward. Millions of point contact detector diodes were manufactured for use in radar systems during WW-2. But such devices were not capable of amplification, and obtaining amplification in a solid device became the goal of the Bell Labs researchers who discovered the transistor. Any pre-1947 semiconducting devices or research, whether they amplify or not, may be entered in this category.

8. Early Transistors, 1947-1954:

The first transistors were made by pressing tiny steel wire point contacts into blocks of doped germanium, resulting in local depletion regions. Such devices had a high degree of variability, were fragile, and unreliable compared to modern transistors, but they were made experimentally as well as in production until diffused junction transistors were developed. Remember that you can enter the devices themselves or any equipment containing them in this category.

9. The Types Emerge, 1954-present

As manufacturing processes evolved, a huge variety of transistor types were invented and produced. Many were only produced for short periods of time before further improvement rendered them obsolete. The first working silicon transistor was developed at Bell Labs in 1954 and commercial versions were available from Texas Instruments later that year. Texas Instruments also produced the first integrated circuits in 1958. The MOSFET made its appearance in 1960. A timeline of transistor development with representative devices would make a great display to enter in this category, and of course examples of various early devices and/or the equipment that used them are welcome.

STANDARD CONTEST CATEGORIES

10.Passive Receivers:

Any radio which uses only passive devices such as a crystal or other type of detector, without active amplification, to convert radio energy into intelligent signals.

11. Regenerative and Super-regenerative Receivers:

These late 1910s through 1920s receivers contain at least one stage of amplification in which part of the output is fed back to the input in such a way as to add to the original signal and increase its strength, offering tremendous sensitivity from a single tube or a few tubes. Licensed manufacturers produced a variety of radios based on this principle, as did some unlicensed companies. Millions were assembled by do-it-yourselfers.

12. 1920s TRF, Reflex, and Neutrodyne Receivers:

Although regenerative receivers provided great economy, they were difficult to tune properly and did not offer great selectivity. This became important as more broadcast stations took to the air. The tuned RF, or TRF receiver became the radio of choice from about 1923 on. The reflex receiver is a variation of the TRF circuit in which the detected audio is passed through one or more of the RF stages for further amplification. This reduced the number of tubes needed and economized on batteries. The Neutrodyne was a later refinement of the TRF design. It uses carefully adjusted feedback capacitors, or “Neutrodons” to neutralize the internal capacitances of the RF tubes, so higher gain could be obtained from fewer tubes.

13. 1920’s Superhet Receivers:

The superheterodyne principle was discovered during World War One, but it proved very difficult to build economical, high performance superheterodyne radios that would be accepted by the public using the technology available in the early 1920s. Nevertheless, there was interest in the circuit which some companies tried to address.

14. Cathedrals and Tombstones of the 1930’s and 1940’s:

In the late 1920s, some manufacturers realized that there was a segment of the public that wanted smaller, less elaborate radios with self-contained speakers and power supplies. The first so-called “mantle radios” appeared in 1929, and turned out to be right in time for the Great Depression. The gothic or “cathedral” style enjoyed considerable popularity in the early 1930s and was followed by the “tombstone” or flat-top style in the mid to late 1930s.

15. Other Radios of the 1930’s and 1940’s:

While the cathedral and tombstone style of radio was immensely popular in the 1930s, manufacturers knew that tastes varied so many other styles of radios were offered including traditional furniture consoles, contemporary floor standing radios, table radios, chairside radios, and portables.

16. Speakers:

Category A: HORN

Any sound reproduction device can be entered here as long as it employs a horn or bell for sound amplification.

Category B: CONE

When radio sets obtained greater power output levels the magnetic speaker unit was designed with large surface areas for better sound reproduction. There are many fine examples of this type of speaker. i.e. Tower Adventurer, Western Electric, .....

17. Test Equipment

Just as important as radios, TVs, and related equipment was the test gear used to keep everything running. From the 1920s on, manufacturers offered a variety of meters, signal generators, and tube testers to the trade. As radios became more complicated and television emerged, test equipment became more sophisticated. Some test equipment companies were short lived and obscure, while others served the electronics industry for generations.

18. Tubes

In this category you can display a single tube or a collection. There should be a common theme with the display, such as historical significance, technological breakthrough, etc. The display should tell a story.

19. Television

Category A: Mechanical

Bring in a scanning disk or a mirror screw receiver or camera. It can be original or a modern replica.

Category B: Electronic

This is the category to enter any television receiver or studio equipment. Can be black and white or color, kit or factory.

20. International Radio

Category A: Pre 1945

Any radio or artifact produced before 1945, from any country outside the US.

Category B: Post 1945

Any radio or artifact produced after 1945 from any country outside the US.

21. Novelty Radio

Radios were often made in other shapes and forms as novelty items. They may be disguised as toys, other objects, or cartoon characters. This category is a celebration of these colorful and imaginative sets.

Category A: Tube Novelty RadiosCategory B: Transistor Novelty Radios

THE AMATEUR RADIO CATEGORIES

22. Spark Transmitters and Related Artifacts.Most of the earliest amateur transmitters were spark types using equipment assembled by the operator from commercial and sometimes homemade parts. Spark was outlawed for amateur use by 1923, so very few of these transmitters remain intact. Therefore this category is open to not just complete transmitters but to individual parts and accessories that would have been used with them.

23. Vacuum Tube Transmitters and Receivers.

Some of the sets for this class are old, some not so old, most home-built, while the predominant entries have been amateur-constructed, commercial equipment is welcome. This year we are going to split the category in two.

One of the first fully transistorized amateur receivers was the Heathkit GC-1 Mohican, which was introduced in 1961. With solid state ham equipment now over 50 years old, we decided to create a category for vintage solid state and hybrid equipment. Any solid state ham gear may be entered in this category. Many may ask, “What is the definition of vintage?” Vintage means at least 50 years old.

THE CRAFTSMAN CATEGORIES

25. Restoration of Appearance:

The purpose of this category is to display examples of rebuilding and refinishing the cabinets that were used to house radio receivers. There is no requirement for a particular kind or size of set to be entered and it does not need to be operational. A description of the work done will be considered an important part of the entry. Entries will be judged on the originality of the appearance of the radio, including woodwork, chassis and component appearance, escutcheons, dials, knobs and other visual details.

26. Restoration of Operation:

This category is for entries where a radio or related piece of equipment is returned to its original operating condition in a historically correct way, by rebuilding or refurbishing old electronic and mechanical components, or concealing modern components inside old ones. The equipment not only looks but works like it did when new. An entry should include documentation of the restoration work that was done.

27. New or Rebuilt.

Sometimes a receiver or other artifact is so rare that there is no hope of getting one except to make a replica. If a particular circuit is of interest, it may be preferable to build it with modern tubes and components which are more available and not use scarce early ones. In other cases, significant damage has occurred or major parts are missing from a historically significant item, making it necessary to fabricate replica parts and assemblies from new or old materials. This is the category for those who like to make things which are antique wireless and radio related.

28. Open Category

Enter any item that does not fit into the listed categories.

THE CONTEST AWARDS

ELLE CRAFTSMAN: Given in memory of Bruce Elle to a builder of a high-quality radio receiver of an old or new type.

MATLACK TRANSMITTER: Given for excellence in constructing or restoring transmitting equipment.

RALPH O. WILLIAMS DISPLAY: Recognizes the informational value and quality of an exhibit in the contest at the AWA conference.

THOMPSON BEST OF SHOW: Awarded in honor of early amateur Eunice Thompson, W1MPP, for the top entry in the Old Equipment Contest at the Annual Conference.

PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Awarded to the entry that receives the most favorable votes from attendees and visitors to the contest. All entries including displays are eligible for this award.